Bad Omens
by PhaiFan
Summary: Lucian records an instance the morning of the battle of Issus where Hephaestion spoke the wrong greeting when they came to Alexander's tent. The other generals took it as a bad omen, that Alexander would die. This is my take on what happened the night before, and what led to Hephaestion's slip up. Mostly smut and fluff, with a little plot thrown in for fun
1. Chapter 1

_Lucian records an instance the morning of the battle of Issus where Hephaestion spoke the wrong greeting to Alexander, wishing him health instead of joy (basically like saying goodbye or paying final respects) when they came to Alexander's tent. The other generals took it as a bad omen, that Alexander would die. Alexander had to reassure them._

_Truth be told, it was because Hephaestion had spent the night with Alexander and was leaving tent, not arriving like the others._

_This is my take on what went on the night before._

_Mostly fluff and smut, with a tiny bit of plot thrown in for good measure._

* * *

_(a kind person pointed out a couple historical inaccuracies in my story, which I now have hopefully fixed)_

* * *

"I knew I'd find you here."

Hephaestion chuckled softly. He knew who the person approaching him from behind was before he ever spoke a word. "I thought you went to bed."

Alexander moved to stand beside Hephaestion, shoulders touching. "Yeah, well…" he shook his head. "You know how I get before a battle sometimes."

Hephaestion sighed, taking in the scene before him. From where they stood high on a mountain pass, they had a clear view of the valley below and the flat plain that seemed to stretch on forever. In the distance, the glow of thousands of campfires could be seen. Stars were brightly visible in the cool, clear night air. Faint sounds carried on the wind from the camp below.

"Are you nervous, Alexander? We have a daunting task ahead of us tomorrow. Darius' army is huge. A lot of the men are apprehensive. They trust you, but…"

"I know. I expect that. A little fear is a healthy thing. Keeps them on their guard. I trust you told the others to make sure their men are well fed and well rested?"

Hephaestion nodded. "I did." He turned his head slightly to catch Alexander's gaze, his blue eyes twinkling in the faint light. "You should rest as well, Alexander."

Alexander shook his head. "I'm too restless to sleep just now. And you, you should be resting yourself, Hephaestion." He smiled softly. "But I knew you wouldn't be. I know you too well."

"Just thinking, Alexander. And enjoying the peace, the calm before the storm, so to speak." He was silent for a moment as his eyes locked with Alexander's. A smile slowly curved his lips.

"What?" Alexander cocked his head slightly. "What is that look for?"

Hephaestion turned to face Alexander fully, reaching his hand up to card his fingers through Alexander's blonde curls. "I think I know just the thing to relax us both."

Alexander leaned into the touch and grinned. "And just what do you suggest that we do?"

Hephaestion's other hand reached for Alexander's waist, pulling him a little closer. "This" he stated as he leaned down and brushed his lips lightly, teasingly, over Alexander's. "And this" he deepened the kiss slightly, his tongue gently probing. "And definitely this" he said as he wrapped both arms around Alexander, pulling him in tight and claiming his mouth in a kiss that left them both breathless. He pulled back a little, a wicked smile dancing on his lips. "Or perhaps this" he breathed in Alexander's ear. His hands slid down to the firm cheeks of Alexander's ass, pulling him closer still and pressing their groins together, both of them already growing hard.

A soft moan escaped Alexander's throat as Hephaestion backed him against a rock wall and pressed the full length of his body against him, his lips fastened to Alexander's neck. Alexander leaned his head back, exposing his throat, and tangled his fingers in Hephaestion's silky hair. "Gods…" he gasped as Hephaestion's teeth nipped playfully at the tender area just below his ear.

So far this was proving to be a wonderful distraction from the thoughts of their upcoming battle that had been whirling around in his head all evening.

Hephaestion's hands explored Alexander's back and hips, and one hand started to slip down between them, his intended target straining eagerly against the thin cloth.

The quiet cough from one of the guards that had accompanied Alexander startled Hephaestion, and he suddenly remembered that they were not alone. The guards could not see them where they stood against rock wall, but it wouldn't take too much for them to figure out what was going on…especially since they both tended to get a bit vocal in times of passion. With a reluctant groan, he pulled back from Alexander and took a deep breath to calm himself. "Perhaps we should take this somewhere a bit more private, Alexander."

Alexander nodded. "My tent. Now." He turned and began walking quickly down the path with Hephaestion on his heels. They walked without speaking, flanked by guards who struggled to keep up with them. They reached Alexander's tent, and he turned to address his guards. "Admit no one. I am not to be disturbed." He turned to Hephaestion. "Come with me."

Alexander quickly dismissed his pages and slaves, leaving them alone. Once they were securely inside the inner chamber of Alexander's tent, he turned to Hephaestion and smiled. "Now…where were we?"


	2. Chapter 2

A linen cuirass hit the floor, followed by greaves and a leather wrist guard, cavalry boots were unlaced and kicked aside, until Hephaestion stood dressed in the simple white tunic he had worn under his armor. He stripped himself of his armor so quickly that Alexander had barely had time to pull off his own cuirass.

Alexander laughed and shook his head. "In a hurry, Hephaestion?"

Hephaestion grinned. "As a matter of fact, I am. Do you need some help, Alexander?"

"I'm good." Alexander quickly stripped his own armor off, pausing when he was down to his tunic. He cocked an eyebrow at Hephaestion and winked. "Get naked, Hephaestion. Now." He stripped off his tunic and loincloth and bounced down onto the bed, smiling up at Hephaestion.

Hephaestion chuckled. "Yes, my king." He quickly finished stripping off his clothing and stood beside the bed. He licked his lips and smiled seductively.

Alexander's eyes were wide and he felt his heart rate speed up as his gaze raked up and down the lean length of Hephaestion's body. Perfect. The man was perfect. His mouth practically watered at the sight. "I want you" he said in a low voice.

Hephaestion climbed onto the bed next to Alexander and lay down on his side, facing the king. He trailed his fingers down Alexander's chest. "Then you shall have me."

Hephaestion leaned over and kissed Alexander's chest, his lips and tongue following the path that his fingers had taken. He flicked his tongue over a nipple, laughing softly at the hiss of breath that he heard from Alexander. His teeth gently nipped at the hardened bud before he began kissing his way over to devote equal attention to the other nipple.

Alexander felt a chill run down his spine, straight to his groin, and he groaned softly. His fingers carded through Hephaestion's hair. Almost without realizing he was doing it, he pushed gently against the top of Hephaestion's head, encouraging him to move lower, his hips lifting slightly.

Hephaestion raised his head and looked at Alexander's flushed face. He chuckled. "Oh, very subtle Alexander. Is there something you want me to do?" He dipped his head and ran his tongue down Alexander's body, pausing to poke at his belly button. He knew Alexander was ticklish there.

Alexander jerked and swatted at the back of Hephaestion's head playfully. "Damn it, Hephaestion! You know that tickles!"

Another low chuckle from Hephaestion as he gave Alexander's belly button one more flick of his tongue before dragging the tip of his tongue down the soft line of hair that led down, and down… With agonizing slowness, he moved closer to where Alexander obviously wanted him to be.

Alexander realized he was holding his breath and released it slowly. He was about to open his mouth to speak when he suddenly felt Hephaestion's fingers wrap around his hard length. He gasped. Another attempt at speech was quickly forgotten when the wet heat of Hephaestion's mouth drew him in, taking him all the way down. "Oh gods…" was all he managed to choke out. His hips bucked up off the bed and his fingers tangled themselves in Hephaestion's hair.

Hephaestion pulled back slightly, smiling at Alexander's enthusiastic response. His head lowered again, his tongue swirling over the tip teasingly before he slid the full length of Alexander's erection into his mouth again.

Alexander was going wild under him, his hips jerking involuntarily. He released his hold on Hephaestion's hair and gripped the bed covers in his fists. "Hephaestion, you're killing me…oh gods…if you don't stop that…I'm never going to last…" he panted.

Hephaestion raised his head, releasing the hard column of flesh from his grip, and crawled up Alexander's body on his hands and knees. "That won't do, Alexander. You can't come yet." He lowered head and claimed Alexander's mouth in a passionate kiss, leaving them both breathless. He felt his own hard length pressing down against Alexander's and groaned. "Gods you feel good, Alexander. So good."

Alexander's hands slid down Hephaestion's sides, coming to rest on his hips. He gripped Hephaestion's firm buttocks in his hands and ground himself against him. He drew in a ragged breath and nipped at Hephaestion's lower lip, tugging gently. "I want in."

Hephaestion rolled over, pulling Alexander on top of him as he did so. His legs parted slightly, allowing Alexander to settle between them. "Then do it."

"On your side, Hephaestion" Alexander ordered, his voice low and breathless. He rolled off Hephaestion and sat up.

Hephaestion rolled onto his side, facing away from Alexander. He was so hard he ached. He glanced back over his shoulder to see Alexander retrieving a small silver bottle from the bedside table.

Alexander lay down on his side, spooning behind Hephaestion. He chuckled, a soft warm sound, when goose bumps broke out all over Hephaestion's body as he kissed the back of his neck and shoulders. Hephaestion loved that. His arm draped over Hephaestion's shoulder, he let his hand wander down the general's body, down the strong chest, down his tight belly, over his lean hips, before curling his fingers around velvet covered steel of Hephaestion's erection.

Hephaestion sucked in a breath and bucked into Alexander's grip. Strong, calloused fingers caressed him, stroking firmly. He nearly lost it when Alexander rubbed his thumb over the tip, drawing a bead of moisture with it. He knew he wouldn't last very long no matter what they did. He pushed back with his hips, grinding his ass against Alexander's erection. "Do it. Take me."

Alexander dipped his fingers in the oil, gently and carefully preparing Hephaestion. It had been a very long time since they had done this, regrettably, and he didn't want to risk hurting him. He continued to kiss and nip at the tender skin on Hephaestion's neck as he stretched him further. Once he thought Hephaestion was ready for him, he pressed against the tight entrance. "I don't want to hurt you, Hephaestion."

Hephaestion pushed back impatiently. "You won't. Just do it."

Slowly and carefully, Alexander eased himself into that hot, silky passage until he was buried deep. He was still for a moment, taking in the nearly overwhelming feelings…and not just the physical ones. That Hephaestion loved him, trusted him, wanted him…it was a humbling feeling. He reached to brush the hair from Hephaestion's face and then wrapped his arms around him from behind.

"Move, Alexander. Please." Hephaestion reached his hand back to grip Alexander's hip.

Alexander shifted behind him, slow and steady strokes in and out, his body moving against Hephaestion's back.

Hephaestion's head was lowered and he shifted his weight forward to give Alexander better leverage, allowing him to hit that spot…that perfect spot…again and again. Hephaestion bit his lip and sucked in a breath as Alexander reached around and wrapped his hand around Hephaestion's hard length and began stroking in time with the sure and steady thrusts.

Their bodies moved together, their movements becoming quicker and more erratic. Hephaestion could not hold out any longer. "Alexander!" he gasped, "I can't….I'm going to…ah, gods…" He lost it, thrusting forward into Alexander's grip and his whole body shuddered with his release.

The feeling of Hephaestion's muscles contracting around him sent Alexander over the edge as well. He thrust once more, buried as deeply as he could, and came hard, biting down on Hephaestion's shoulder to keep from shouting.

They lay like that, Alexander still spooning behind Hephaestion with his arms wrapped around him, as they tried to catch their breath. Finally, Alexander pulled out and rolled onto his back. Hephaestion rolled over as well, and they both lay, staring at the roof of the tent over their heads.

Alexander reached for Hephaestion's hand and twined their fingers together. "That was…incredible. I don't say it often, Hephaestion, and for that I'm sorry, but I love you."

Hephaestion smiled, stifling a yawn. "I love you, too, Alexander." He yawned again. He felt his eyelids growing heavy. "I should go, Alexander. I should go back to my own tent and let you rest."

Alexander gripped his hand tighter. "No, Hephaestion. Stay for a while. You can leave later. Right now I just want to be with you." He sighed contentedly and closed his eyes.

Within moments, both men were asleep.


	3. Chapter 3

Alexander woke to typical camp sounds. He stretched and yawned, his eyes still closed. He heard his guards arguing with someone briefly, and then whoever was there apparently left. He opened his eyes, blinking to adjust to the light. A soft snore beside him caught his attention, and he sat up, looking down the sleeping form of Hephaestion. A beautiful and very naked Hephaestion.

Shit. It was morning. It was light. The morning of battle. He could hear activity all around him as the soldiers prepared for the battle ahead, and he knew that all his senior officers would soon be descending upon his tent for their briefing and their final orders.

He watched Hephaestion's chest rise and fall with each breath, still sleeping soundly, and a smile curved his lips. They had intended for Hephaestion to leave sometime during the night and return to his own tent, discretion always the best option. They had dozed off for a short time, but Alexander couldn't help himself. When he woke up, Hephaestion was laying there, watching him, with that damned seductive smile of his and that mischievous sparkle in his eyes. Alexander couldn't resist. They ended up making love again, this time Hephaestion had taken him. It was passionate and aggressive and a bit rough. He chuckled softly. Probably not the best thing to do when you would be spending the next day on horseback. He was a little sore, but he didn't mind really.

They had fallen asleep again, wrapped around each other, again intending for Hephaestion to leave sometime during the night. But now it was morning. And apparently late morning, from the sound of things.

Shit. There was no way to sneak Hephaestion out of his tent now without being seen. He frowned slightly. He hated drawing attention to their relationship. No one would dare say anything to him, but he knew Hephaestion sometimes bore the brunt of crude jokes and nasty remarks. As much as he hated to wake the peacefully sleeping Hephaestion, he had to.

He leaned over and pressed a kiss against lips that were slightly swollen from the previous night's activities. Hephaestion drew a deep breath and gently kissed him back.

"Good morning, sleepyhead" Alexander said softly.

Hephaestion yawned and smiled, his eyes blinking open. Suddenly his eyes flew open wide, a horrified expression on his face. "Alexander! It's…it's morning! Why didn't you wake me?"

"I only just woke myself, Hephaestion. I'm sorry."

"Shit" Hephaestion muttered. He rose from the bed and began quickly gathering the clothing that was strewn all about the floor of the tent. "Damn it, Alexander. It's late. There's no way I can leave now without being seen. I'm surprised the others haven't been demanding to see you already."

Is if on cue, Parmenion's voice could be heard outside the tent, demanding that Alexander's guards let him in. Thankfully, the obedient guards did as Alexander had instructed and admitted no one. Parmenion called them something rude and left.

Alexander shook his head. This was not at all the way he wanted to start his morning. He got up and began gathering his own clothing. He slipped his tunic on, and turned to watch Hephaestion as he struggled to get his armor back on. "Let me help you, Hephaestion." He helped Hephaestion put on the rest of his armor. "As soon as you get your boots laced up, I'm going to call my pages in here to help me get ready. At least you'll be dressed and ready by then. I need to call for a morning meal as well." He grinned. "I think we worked up an appetite last night." He laughed softly as Hephaestion blushed slightly.

Hephaestion finished lacing his boots and stood, dressed and ready. Alexander went to the outer chamber of his tent and spoke with his guards briefly. His pages and slaves, who had all been waiting nearby, sprang into action. They helped him put on his armor, and a slave brought a tray with his morning meal, which he shared hastily with Hephaestion.

Parmenion was back, and Alexander could hear him arguing with the guards again. Alexander sighed and looked at Hephaestion. "I guess there's no putting this off. I really need to meet with them. Why don't you go wait in the outer chamber, and you can enter with the rest of them. Maybe they will think you just got here before they did." He sat down at his desk.

Hephaestion knew he had to return to his own tent to retrieve his sword and helmet anyway, so he turned to leave. Just as he had left the inner chamber of Alexander's tent, the senior officers filed into the outer chamber all at once. Hephaestion froze momentarily, but decided to act as if he had just arrived himself. He greeted the others with a nod of his head.

Alexander's page motioned them into the inner chamber.

Alexander was standing at his table, looking over a map. He turned, hearing his officers enter.

Hephaestion was the first to speak. "Health to you, Alexander!" He heard a gasp and looked at the shocked faces of the other generals.

"What did you say?" Craterus asked.

Hephaestion was immediately embarrassed. So much for discretion. He had just greeted Alexander as if paying last respects, instead of the proper greeting of "joy to you" as he should have said. They would surely know that he had spent the night with Alexander and was just leaving his tent…not arriving.

Perdiccas frowned and shook his head. "No! This is a bad omen! Hephaestion, why did you say that?"

Leonnatus looked distressed. "Yes! A bad omen! What does it mean?"

"It's an omen that Alexander will die! That we are bidding him farewell!" Nearchus exclaimed. "Alexander, this is a warning!"

Parmenion simply shook his head and frowned. No, this did not bode well.

Ptolemy knew exactly why Hephaestion had misspoken and stifled a laugh behind his hand. He caught Hephaestion's eye and nearly laughed out loud when Hephaestion blushed.

Alexander hadn't really noticed what Hephaestion had said. "A warning about what?"

"Hephaestion said…oh, it's a bad omen, Alexander! It bodes badly for today's battle. I think your life may be in danger." Perdiccas was obviously upset.

"Yes, Alexander! Hephaestion bid you farewell…he wished you health…he was saying goodbye. What does that mean? Are you to die? Perhaps we should not go into battle today!" Leonnatus stated.

Ah, now it made sense. Alexander observed Hephaestion's downcast eyes and the blush on his cheeks. He also noticed Ptolemy trying desperately not to laugh. No doubt he knew exactly what was going on. Alexander had to think quickly to calm his now nervous officers.

"No, gentlemen, it isn't a bad omen at all! Hephaestion wished health to me…meaning that I will live!" He smiled at them. "There is nothing to worry about. I can assure you."

"Yes" Hephaestion nodded quickly. "That is exactly what I meant!"

The others exchanged glances, not quite sure what to make of the situation, but if Alexander was unconcerned, surely things were okay.

"Gentlemen, come in and have a seat. I have some last minute instructions for you."

He spoke briefly to each one of them, then addressed them as a group. "Our sacrifices were received well by the gods; the battle will be in our favor. Do not worry. Fight well. Now, go to your men and get ready."

The generals filed out, feeling much better about the situation, their belief in Alexander reassuring them that indeed they would be victorious.

Ptolemy was the last one out, and reached and laid a hand on Hephaestion's shoulder as he moved past him. "Hephaestion, I've not seen you blush before, my friend. Good thing Alexander thought fast. He saved your ass." Ptolemy chuckled. "You dog. I hope you can sit a horse today." He turned, laughing, as Hephaestion blushed again.

Hephaestion heard Alexander laugh behind him and turned with a frown. "I don't think this is particularly funny, Alexander."

Alexander smiled and placed both his hands on Hephaestion's shoulders. "Oh, relax Hephaestion. No harm done." He embraced him before stepping back and reaching for his sword and helmet. "I wish joy to you, I wish health to you…it doesn't matter. We will win today. Darius will be mine." He flashed a brilliant, confident smile at Hephaestion. "Come, Hephaestion…we have a battle to win!"


End file.
